Trafford

Born during the September quarter 1889 in the Fylde R.D. - ref: 8c/744, the
son of Joseph Lauckland & Margaret Nelson (neé Atkinson).

1891 Census - No Trace

1901 Census - 16 Ryan Street, Bradford, Yorkshire.   Grandson - aged: 11 -
occ: Slaters Clerk - born: Bispam, Lancashire.   Head of household - George
Atkinson - Widower - aged: 70 - occ: Cricket Coach - born: Ripon.   His
mother - Margaret Nelson - Married - aged: 34 - born: Middlesborough.  Plus
3 of his Atkinson uncles.

1911 Census - 16 Ryan Street, Bradford, Yorkshire.   Nephew - aged: 21 -
born: Bispam, Lancashire.   Head of household - Walter Atkinson - Single -
aged: 42 - occ: Bookmaker (Turf) - born: Holbeck, Leeds.    His mother -
Margaret Nelson - Married - aged: 44 - born: Middlesborough.   Plus 2 more
of his Atkinson uncles.

Principal of the firm of Messrs. Abbott & Stockton, Grey Cloth Merchants,
Manchester (Mr. Edwin F. Stockton was from Sale).

Listed as J.A. Nelson on the LCCC Memorial and as J. Nelson on the Sale
Town War Memorial.

Played cricket for Bradford C.C.      Captain of the Sale C.C.for several
seasons.       And played for Lancashire C.C.C's 1st XI and a member of the
L.C.C.C's Executive Committee.

Enlisted in March 1916 and drafted to the front in July 1916.   MIC -
Originally number 4497.    BWM & Victory - no other info.

Previously in hospital with a head wound.   Death reported in the
05/10/1917 edittion of the Altrincham Advertiser.  See also the 12/10/1917
edition.

Pension Records - Dependent - Margaret Nelson (Mother), 12 Cranford Avenue,
Sale.   Awarded a weekly pension of 15/- w.e.f. the 12th March 1918.

His date of death coupled with the fact that he's buried at Tyne Cot
Cemetery (the largest Commonwealth Military Cemetery in the World) means
that he was involved in the third Battle of Ypres that started on the 31st
July 1917.     The second Allied attack of that Battle, took place on the
10th August and advanced on a 2 mile front east of Ypres, capturing
Westhoek & Glencorse Wood.      On the 11th August, the Germans
counter-attacked and re-took part of Glencorse Wood.      He was presumably
killed on the second day of that counter-attack.    300,000 British
soldiers died in the third Battle of Ypres.

M.I. - "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life
for his friends".   Listed in the Guardian Year Book - Roll of Honour for
1918, which states that he was a well known Sale & Lancashire County
Cricketer.